Below is a 1960s track by Takeshi Terauchi named after the famous Kabuki play, Kanjincho. The original story tells the tale of Yoshitsune's escape through enemy territory. Disguised as a lowly porter, Yoshitsune allowed his warrior vassal, Benkei, to beat him in order to throw the border guards of the scent. Terauchi does a nice job setting the Kabuki tone with a vocal "Yo!" at the start of the track. The 1960s were an interesting time for reappropriating classic idioms for use in modern forms. We saw this in Pop Art in the West, and musicians like Terauchi, Joji Yuasa, and Toshi Ichiyanagi (Yoko Ono's first husband) were well known in Japan for redefining traditional themes in their various experiments. Terauchi is followed below by the fabulous Ensemble Nipponia's traditional version of Kanjincho. The track is from one of my desert island albums, Kabuki and Other Traditional Music (Nonsuch/1980). Click to watch on YouTube if videos don't play here. Enjoy!
Get ready to meet MIKI ZERO, Japanese fashion model and spy! The creator of Spy Vibe has written a novel called Elevator Girl, inspired by his love of Ian Fleming and based on newly declassified intel from the Cold War. More info at Whiton's website here. Recent Spy Vibe posts: Peter Asher, Gerry Marsden tour,Elio Petri on Blu-ray, Sophia Loren, new Beatles BBC album, new Hercule Poirot novel, Beatles fall 2013 releases, A Hard Days Night cinematographer dies, Magic Christian on Blu-ray, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute, Ian Fleming memorial, Emma Peel Megaset returns
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